I’ve come to a conclusion that many people just love to argue and love to be miserable.

I’m not quite sure why that is. Is agitation and screaming and yelling that “I’m right, you’re wrong and you’re an idiot,” our natural state as human beings?

I know — nature of the beast for politics, religion and sports.

But one of the best things about sports is they are supposed to bring people together, right? That’s what I keep hearing. That’s one of the justifications for trying to keep intercollegiate sports afloat.

In recent weeks the University of Hawaii football fan base came together in a general consensus that it was time for the head coach to no longer be the head coach. Norm Chow was in his fourth season, and with Saturday’s loss to Air Force, it became guaranteed that this one, like the rest, would end with a losing record.

Four seasons is more than enough time to build a winning program and Chow did not do it. Is it harder here than other places? Yes. But others have accomplished it.

And now, here’s the not-so-funny thing. You’d think that all of those people who wanted Chow gone would be happy now, or at least relieved and looking forward to better things.

But no, that’s not the case for some. The hating has already begun on his temporary replacement, the interim head coach Chris Naeole.

The guy hadn’t even met with the players yet and the brave anonymous internet commandos were already in crucify mode.

One of them tweeted, “Hawaii can’t do anything right. Naeole is one of the worst on staff” and “… Putting him interim tells me we’re going to make a bad hire when the time comes.”

Really? Someone’s going to have to tell me how those two things correlate.

And I’d like to be there when that online tough-talker says those things to the face of 6-foot-3, 330-pound Chris Naeole, who played 12 seasons in the NFL. I doubt it ever will happen but if it does I hope the wimp wears Depends.

And that ties into why Naeole is a good choice for this gig. This team plays at UNLV next week; if I were sending a group of more than 60 college students to Las Vegas who have just been liberated from their primary authority figure, I can’t think of many better overseers than Naeole. If you would have to answer to this guy it’s unlikely you miss curfew or partake in any off-limits Sin City shenanigans.

As he said in his introductory press conference yesterday, “You’re either in or you’re out. Don’t let the door hit you.”

He said he has no designs on the permanent job, and just hopes to keep the Rainbow Warriors together down the stretch and help them win some games and restore some pride.

This is a fairly common phenomenon in football and some other sports. A new coach takes over for his fired predecessor, and all of a sudden a moribund team starts winning.

It’s happened at USC and Miami (Fla.) in recent weeks. The Miami Dolphins, too.

It doesn’t last forever, but addition by subtraction rejuvenates hope. It can be a unifier and a shot of adrenaline.

I am excited for Chris Naeole getting his first shot as a head coach (even though it may be just four games), as I was for Norm Chow when he started more than three long years ago.

Did I have my doubts about Chow? Certainly. I knew he’d been let go from his previous three jobs. But when you’re an assistant coach, that doesn’t mean you’re not good. And when you’re a life-long assistant, it doesn’t mean you can’t win as a head coach.

But we learned otherwise.

And now, the search begins for a new head coach.

I’m like many of you in that I can’t stand these search committees. They are a waste of time and money, just so the AD can cover his okole and some big shots can act like big shots.

If there has to be a committee, make it a group of prominent former UH football players who have done well after retirement … guys like Jesse Sapolu, Mike Tresler, Kent Untermann, Blane Gaison and Maa Tanuvasa. Do not include any of the people responsible for bringing in Chow.

They and Jim Donovan can say how Chow wasn’t their first choice, that it was Dirk Koetter. But they didn’t think MRC Greenwood would reject Koetter? Any university president would because of the serious crimes that players had committed under his watch at Arizona State, this at the height of the Jerry Sandusky-Penn State scandal.

The Norm Chow era finally came to an end yesterday. Although nearly a year too late, it made many fans happy, and there was the appropriate amount of sympathy out there for Chow. There’s still a long climb out of darkness for UH football — and some say it will die before it gets back to what it was. But at least the process is now starting.

Those of you who couldn’t take a day off from your anger regarding UH football? I suggest professional counseling.

Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783. His blog is at Hawaiiwarriorworld.com/quick-reads.